Soft Avalanche - Sleeper Hits

“I just want you to bear witness - I finally found my way”.

Sleeper Hits is the debut album by Danish singer-songwriter and producer Anders Ankerstjerne, under his “collaborative solo project” Soft Avalanche. The eight-track project is extremely tight and consistent, with Ankerstjerne showing off all his best qualities as both a writer and a composer.

The first thing that stands out about Sleeper Hits is the heavy focus on nostalgia. All three single covers feature various family photos, the first two even in black and white. The music itself follows this, too - the sound of the songs is very dreamy, carrying a haze of memories and wistfulness that is supported very well by the oftentimes very introspective lyrics. Sleeper Hits covers a range of heavy topics, from mental illness to grief, and Ankerstjerne handles all of them with a caring warmth, making them resonate very effectively with the listener. The eight and a half minute-long closer, “Days”, which is about having to watch a loved one’s mind slowly fade away due to dementia, is a particularly great example of this, really pulling you in and keeping you wrapped up in its story throughout its entire extensive duration.

The atmosphere is held up largely by the amazing production of the record. It manages to give each instrument that faint buzz that makes them nostalgic, while still maintaining clarity and keeping each layer distinguishable. The mixes are extremely well-balanced, making Sleeper Hits incredibly easy music to just lose yourself in and feel.

Musically, Ankerstjerne commits to several interesting, at times fairly unorthodox structural and instrumental choices, giving the album a great deal of diversity and making it a great deal more intriguing. He keeps up the diversity in his vocals, too, trying a few different deliveries. 

It’s rare for an eight-track album not to feel too short; but Sleeper Hits feels balanced out just right for its length, a complete project without the need to remove or add anything.  The songs vary quite a bit in tempo and energy - from faster, more upbeat tracks like “Sleeper” and “In Time” to slower, more melancholic songs such as “Lose You” and “Come Back” - but they feel cohesive nonetheless. It’s a very mature body of work, and one that shows off a great amount of talent and promise. 

8.0/10